FB: Presidents' Athletic Conference

[Bob.Gregg]

[The difference is Johns Hopkins is a nationally recognized university, meaning they can recruit nationally.  They hardly have any players on their roster from the state of Maryland and reach as far as California, Texas, Florida & Washington.  W&J doesn't have that luxury, despite being a great academic school in its own right.

W&J's playoff roster includes players from:
Florida, Ohio, New York, Mass, Conn, WVa, and Pennsylvania

[SaintsFAN]

Great to see Zach Autenrieb as one of the 10 Finalists for the Gagliardi Trophy.  Thomas More is really going to miss his leadership and on-field ability.  Had a chance to talk with his dad throughout his career.. great family, I'm sure he's very proud of his boy. 

[Bob.Gregg]

Waynesburg University is mourning the passing of trustee John Wylie, who served then Waynesburg College for many years and for whom the Yellowjackets home football stadium is named.  John Wiley obituary

[D3MAFAN]

Any expectations for the PAC this year? It came down to the last game last year.

[ADL70]

PAC pre-season poll

http://www.pacathletics.org/news/2013/8/1/FB_0801132529.aspx

2013 PAC Football Preseason Poll
School (first-place votes) Points 2012 Record (PAC)
1. Washington & Jefferson College (16) 271 8-3 (7-1)
2. Thomas More College (10) 248 7-3 (6-2)
3. Waynesburg University (6) 233 10-1 (7-1)
4. Grove City College 159 6-4 (5-3)
T-5. Bethany College 138 3-7 (3-5)
T-5. Geneva College 138 3-7 (3-5)
7. Westminster College 107 3-6 (2-6)
8. Thiel College 106 3-7 (3-5)
9. Saint Vincent College 40 0-10 (0-8)

Just keeping board alive on life support till next season.

[mikefln]

I perdict

T1)W&J (Presidents win head to head, but they suffer an upset from either Geneva or Westminster)
T1) Waynesburg
3) Grove City
4)Geneva
5) Thomas More
6) Westminster
7)Theil
8) St. Vincent
9) Bethany

I say the PAC sends both W&J and Waynesburg to the playoffs  with Waynesburg making the deeper run.

[ADL70]

Glad for some conversation.

Waynesburg in the ECAC's perhaps, but I don't see two PAC teams making NCAA playoffs.

And I can't see More out of the top three.

[D3MAFAN]

I see it as:
1. Thomas More College
2. Washington & Jefferson College
3. Waynesburg University
4. Grove City College
5. Geneva College
6. Bethany College 
7. Westminster College
8. Thiel College
9. Saint Vincent College


I think Thomas More College rebounds and wins some key games especially that night game in Washington, PA. Also, it is possible that the PAC could have two teams, depending on the teams that is, because of strength of schedule. If W&J and TM both end up 9-1 with W&J only loss is to TM and TM only loss is to a quality opponent, then it may just happen.

[mikefln]

I think Thomas More takes a step back and I think within the next year or two Waynesburg becomes the big boy of the PAC with W&J.  When CMU joins I see them being a top 3 team, with the next teir being TM, GCC, Geneva, CW with Westminster having a chance to be in this teir. 

[ADL70]

CWRU has defeated CMU six straight years, what makes you think they should be in a tier above?

[Ralph Turner]

Follow-up on the Tim McNerney murder from last October


Three formally arraigned in W&J student's death

[SaintsFAN]

I think Thomas More takes a step back and I think within the next year or two Waynesburg becomes the big boy of the PAC with W&J.  When CMU joins I see them being a top 3 team, with the next teir being TM, GCC, Geneva, CW with Westminster having a chance to be in this teir.

The school just hired a new President, who I'm hearing is very athletics friendly.  After a year where they started 1-3 and lost some big players to injury, TMC finished with 6 straight wins.  They get their RB back who was PAC player of the year in 2011 as a sophomore.  They absolutely destroyed their rival in the Bridge Bowl the last time they were on the field.  If you think TMC will step back thats your perogative but I think you're wrong.  I also hope the rest of the league sleeps on the Saints also, but I know they won't --

With all due respect, Preseason polls mean nothing but TMC finishing 5th is truly laughable.

[ExTartanPlayer]

CWRU has defeated CMU six straight years, what makes you think they should be in a tier above?

I'm a CMU alum and even I'm baffled, although it could be just that mike hasn't followed things recently and that there's a little more history between CMU and PAC teams than there is CWRU and PAC teams.  When I was in college we played several different PAC teams - Grove City 4 times, Bethany 4 times, Thiel twice, Westminster once - from the league's lower-middle and won most of them (9-2 overall against the PAC), although we never did play one of the league's power teams and haven't played any PAC team besides Grove City since 2007.  I do think our 2006-2007 teams would have contended for the PAC title and likely finished in the league's top 2-3.  Then again, mike seems to be living in 2006-2007 since he thinks W & J and Waynesburg are the league powers, TMC is going to finish 5th, and Bethany will finish last.

Waynesburg and W & J both should contend for the title along with TMC, but recent history suggests that dismissing TMC is probably a bad idea, mikefl.  I'll grant you that they finished that way in 2012, but as SaintsFAN alludes, TMC should be much improved in 2012.  They get the 2011 PAC player of the year back from a knee injury, they have a sophomore QB that was pressed into action last year and now has seven games under his belt, and they have 18 starters back.  What of that makes you think they're likely to take a step backwards?  Meanwhile, Waynesburg returns 13 starters and their top rusher left the team, and while W & J brings back 15 starters they're hardly a slam dunk to be better than last year.  How you look at this equation and see Waynesburg emerging as the biggest force in the PAC is beyond me.

As for the possibility of a Pool C bid, news flash: Waynesburg went 9-1 last year and was not invited, and there will be fewer Pool C bids this year with the temporary bubble in Pool B eligible teams.  No chance a PAC team comes away with a Pool C this year.

Re: the CMU/CWRU place in the pecking order, I think both CMU and CWRU will be in the league's upper echelon when they join but may not be immediate title contenders.  Hard to say exactly how good everyone will be in two years but I think W & J, Waynesburg, TMC, CMU, and Case Western will be the league's top 5 in some order in most seasons.  Beyond that it's quite difficult because all of the programs have been up at some point and down at others.  I do think Grove City will stay consistently competitive and crack the top 5 at times.

ADL, I'm also seriously hoping that this year CMU can finally end the aforementioned streak. The last time CMU beat Case, I was still lining up at left tackle...you may even have been at the game?

[DagarmanSpartan]

I suspect that both CWRU and CMU will regularly finish in the Top half of the PAC, assuming that both maintain their programs at or near their current levels.

[ADL70]

CWRU should certainly challenge for the title in 2016 since they play neither W&J or TMC.

XTP have you seen CMU's 2014 PAC schedule?  I was not at the last CMU win.